BD Rx Inc., of Franklin Lakes, N.J., a wholly owned subsidiary of Becton, Dickinson and Co., reported that the FDA has approved its metoclopramide injection, the second drug to be offered in the recently launched BD Simplist line of prefilled generic injectables...The drug is in Phase III trials as an adjunctive therapy to levodopa...The two companies will collaborate on additional hit-to-lead and lead optimization for two new molecules, with the work taking place at AMRI's laboratories

for the Brisbane, Australia-based company's Diversity Scanning Array (DSA) and Versatile Assembly on Stable Templates (VAST) technologies in a deal worth up to $240 million in milestones, plus other payments...to conduct a review of merger and acquisition opportunities. (See BioWorld Today, Feb. 1, 2013...It expects to launch the product in Canada, and a number of Central American, South American and Asian countries in 2014 and 2015

Inc., of Whitehouse Station, N.J., entered into a nonexclusive deal with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., of New York, to conduct a Phase II trial of a once-daily oral combination regimen consisting of BMS' NS5A replication complex inhibitor daclatasvir and Merck's NS3/4A protease inhibitor MK-5172 to treat chronic hepatitis C virus infection genotype 1

headquarters in Plainsboro, N.J. The building is part of a $225 million public/private redevelopment project, which used an existing structure and sustainable materials to limit environmental impact

However, there was some promising news to help give the sector a lift going into that meeting...According to Credit Suisse analyst Ravi Mehrotra writing in a research note, "We do not think that we are in a 'biotech bubble,' given that the drivers of the biotech sector's YTD performance are very different from those in '99/'00...Editor's Note: The BioWorld editorial team will be providing comprehensive coverage of BIO 2013 in the daily issues of BioWorld Today.

resulting in an estimated 20 percent increase in EMD Serono's employee base from last July to the end of 2014

OPKO also said it is partnering with Pharmsynthez to develop and market several OPKO products for sale in Russia and certain other Eastern European countries...Santaris Pharma A/S, of Hoersholm, Denmark, said the European Patent Office issued minutes of the oral proceedings specifying the board of appeal's decision to maintain EP 1015469, the "Wengel" patent, with claims to amino- and thio-LNA nucleotides and oligonucleotides

The news also adds to the growing fear that biosimilar drug development will prove trickier – and, perhaps costlier – than previously envisioned...In the last year, for instance, some much-lauded big pharma biosimilar deals came to abrupt ends, such as Pfizer Inc.'s deal with Indian generics maker Biocon Ltd

Eli Lilly and Co., of Indianapolis, said it acquired two positron emission tomography tracers from Siemens Medical Solutions intended to image tau tangles in the brain, one of two known hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease

Armgo Pharma Inc., of Tarrytown, N.Y., and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) said $1 million was awarded for preclinical work in support of an investigational new drug application for AMR201, an oral, small-molecule Rycal drug that has the potential to treat Duchenne's muscular dystrophy...In separate news, another Galapagos unit, Argenta, inked a deal with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, of Ingelheim, Germany, to apply its respiratory drug discovery services to an undisclosed target within

Eddingpharm, of Hong Kong, said it inked a joint venture (JV) agreement with Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA, of Parma, Italy, to establish Chiesi Edding Hong Kong Ltd...The JV is controlled 51 percent by Eddingpharm and 49 percent by Chiesi and will leverage Eddingpharm's marketing platform to facilitate wide and quick commercialization of key products of Chiesi in the respiratory therapeutic area in China

Avilex Pharma ApS, of Copenhagen, Denmark, said it has received seed funding from Novo Seeds, the early stage financing arm of Novo A/S, which will be used to support the development of dimeric ligands targeting PDZ domains...In other news, GSK experienced manufacturing delays for manufacture and supply of Horizant (gabapentin enacarbil), partnered with XenoPort Inc., of Santa Clara, Calif., resulting in a stockout of the drug...The firms will aim to offer pharma and biotech companies a set of fully

Merck KGgA, of Darmstadt, Germany, reported that a collaboration agreement between its subsidiary, EMD Serono Inc., and Pfizer Inc., of New York, inked in July 2002 for the co-promotion of multiple sclerosis drug Rebif (interferon beta-1a) extends until Dec. 31, 2015, according to an appellate court ruling...EMD Serono had contended that the collaboration should end on Dec. 31, 2013, and has asked the court to reconsider its ruling...In separate news, Merck Serono SA, of Geneva, a division of Merck

BioAlliance Pharma SA, of Paris, said it received marketing authorization from the FDA for Sitavig (acyclovir Lauriad) in the treatment of recurring herpes labialis, marking the successful conclusion to the assessment procedure carried out by the American authorities...According to Epivax Inc., of Providence, R.I., the new H7N9 flu virus has serious potential for rapid expansion on a global scale...To date, 60 people have been confirmed infected with H7N9 in China, with 13 deaths

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., of New York, will invest $250 million to expand its large-scale biologics manufacturing facility in Devens, Mass., introducing biologics development and clinical trial manufacturing capabilities and adding about 350 employees...Work is expected to begin in late 2013

GSK is working to resolve the issues with its contract manufacturer, and it is expected that new inventory of Horizant will be available in pharmacies in June...Innate Pharma SA, of Marseille, France, reported preclinical data for two of its programs...PRCN-829 is designed to deliver multiple genes, including Factor H, to neural stem cells

Targeting 25% of $20B Market Tecarfarin (ATI-5923) recently completed a Phase III study demonstrating safety and effectiveness in patients with prosthetic heart valves in addition to those with other conditions such as atrial fibrillation or venous thromboembolism, independent of CYP status...Kengatharan declined to disclose Armetheon's financing to date but said the company is able to draw from a convertible note as it moves toward a Series A...Armetheon is meeting with investment bankers to complete

In the most recent action in the case, the mass torts law firm of Watts Guerra LLP, of San Antonio, has filed a motion to consolidate the incretins litigation nationally...Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, of Ingelheim, Germany, is the target of a proposed national class-action lawsuit by the Toronto law firm of McPhadden Samac Tuovi LLP, relating to the blood thinner Pradax (dabigatran etexilate...Pradax is used to prevent clotting in patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation

As a result of the amendment, Takeda assumes full responsibility for Omontys and, should the big pharma opt to re-introduce the drug to the market, Affymax would be eligible to receive royalties and potential commercial milestone payments totaling up to $180 million